Future of ESG Investing in Asia: Building Strategic Partnerships between Investors and Businesses

Ma. Victoria A. Tan is currently the Head of Group Risk Management and Sustainability Unit of Ayala Corporation, one of the largest and most respected Philippine conglomerates with leadership positions in various sectors. Vickie, as she is known, supports the Chief Risk and Sustainability Officer and implements policy and programs designed to increase risk and sustainability awareness within the group. She also manages the group insurance optimization program, the conglomerate-wide annual sustainability reporting process, and the annual Integrated Summit.Vickie has been awarded as one of Asia’s Sustainability Superwomen in 2019 by CSR Works for her contributions to the field. In the 2018, she also received the Asia Pacific’s Risk Manager and Risk Management Team of the year by the Strategic Risk. In 2017, the Ayala Group also achieved the Top CSR Advocates in Asia Award by ACES Awards, and the Asia Pacific’s Best Enterprise Risk Programme under her leadership. In 2016, she received the CSR Leadership Award by CMO Asia.

Ms Herry Cho joined Singapore Exchange (SGX) as Managing Director, Head of Sustainability and Sustainable Finance on 8 February 2021. She drives SGX’s sustainability and sustainable finance strategic direction and implementation, with the aim of transforming SGX and its ecosystem into a world-class, trusted multi- asset sustainable exchange.Ms Cho pioneered in the development of Asia Pacific’s sustainable finance markets, in her former role as the Head of Sustainable Finance APAC at ING Bank N.V. from 2017. There she led the origination and execution of sustainable finance transactions including green/social/sustainability bonds and loans, and delivered sustainability advisory to key clients. Furthermore, she shaped the international market standards having served on the Executive Committee Board of the International Capital Market Association (ICMA)’s Green/Social/Sustainability Bond Principles, was the sustainability lead on ICMA’s APAC regional committee and on the Loan Market Association’s Green Finance Committee.Ms Cho leverages on a broad financial background having previously worked for almost a decade in Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory, Capital Structuring and Advisory, and Equity & Debt Capital Markets. Currently based in Singapore, Ms Cho has previously worked in Hong Kong, London and Amsterdam.Ms Cho holds a combined Bachelors and Masters (MBioch) Degree in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry from the University of Oxford, UK.

Deborah is Regional Head of the South East Asian business for BlackRock and Country Head of BlackRock Singapore. BlackRock is one of the world’s leading providers of investment, advisory and risk management solutions. As of end Q3-2020, BlackRock’s assets under management total US$7.81 trillion across fixed income, cash management, alternative investment, real estate and advisory strategies. Singapore is one of the major hubs for Aladdin, which is BlackRock’s operating system for investment professionals that enables every aspect of the investment process.Deborah is a member of the Asia Pacific Steering Committee and a member of the Asia Pacific Exco. Globally, Deborah represents BlackRock APAC on the Human Capital Committee, which is the most senior leadership group ensuring the implementation of leadership and culture priorities of the firm. Deborah is a recognised champion for gender and cultural diversity both within the firm and in the finance industry. She is a global executive committee member of BlackRock’s global women’s initiative group.Deborah is passionate about developing leaders in the financial services sector in Asia. She is active in contributing to the development of the financial industry in Singapore. She represents BlackRock on FCAP, MAS’ financial centre advisory panel which consists of the most senior representatives of the top financial institutions in Singapore. She is most recently focused on the development of ESG investing at BlackRock and is a steering committee member of the ESG working group at FCAP. Deborah is also a board member of the Land Transport Authority of Singapore. the ESG working group at FCAP. She is regularly invited to speak on gender diversity and the championing of sustainability.

Vivien is a partner and head of Asset Management & ESG at Dentons Hong Kong. She has more than 20 years’ experience with a deep and broad focus in the areas of asset management, diverse forms of investment funds across asset classes and structures, retail funds and privately placed funds, investments in public markets, private equity, real estate and alternative investments. Vivien also has extensive corporate and commercial experience in the financial institutions and financial services sectors, having advised on numerous strategic joint ventures, inbound and outbound mergers & acquisitions, and related legal and regulatory matters for cross-border financial markets access, investments and platform building. In recent years, Vivien is market-leading in having developed a unique focus in her practice on corporate and regulatory issues around environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), sustainable finance, responsible investment, impact investing and social finance.